Our 2019 Road Ahead looking at the political, economic, social and technological drivers that will impact charities and their work in the year ahead and beyond.

the ‘Charity Ethical Principles’ that set out the current consensus over the shared values and ethics that should guide practice and decision making in all organisations.

‘Time Well Spent’, our report detailing the findings from our national survey on the volunteer experience.

Civil society’s role post-Brexit

Following the prime minister’s offer to engage civil society on Brexit, we have written saying how much we have to offer in shaping the kind of country Britain will become after leaving the European Union

No deal Brexit and data protection

The use of data and in particular the flow of data between the UK and the EU is a key issue that will be affected if there is no deal in place in time for Brexit. It’s therefore important for organisations to review whether they would be affected.

In a no deal scenario, the continued free flow of personal data between the EU and the UK is not automatic and the guidance sets out the actions UK organisations should take to enable the continued flow of personal data between the UK and the EU. It’s worth reading this blog from the Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham to understand how personal data flow will continue after Brexit.

DCMS have established a No-Deal Data Protection taskforce who are keen to understand how prepared civil society organisations are for the implications on data protection in a no deal scenario, and what more government can do to support the sector. If you would like to contact members of the task force to ask questions or raise any issues, please email laura.kennedy@culture.gov.uk.

The main aim of the report is to make an evidence-based case to extend the reach of FOIA and the EIR to enable greater transparency and accountability in modern public services, which in turn improves services.

A key recommendation is for organisations delivering public services, including charities and social enterprises, to be subject to the act.

The principle of transparency in contracting is one NCVO has always supported, and expanding the Act could be an important way in which this can be achieved. However it will be important to ensure that in practice any change to the legislation doesn’t create disproportionate problems – we don’t want to see the creation of additional barriers to charities delivering public service contracts.

Changes to legacy rules

The move follows a decision to end HMCTS’ current arrangement, whereby a private company provided a paid-for notification service to participating charities. The reason given by HMCTS is that such practice, while established in good faith, is not consistent with the department’s legal duties.

NHS long term plan

The government finally launched the NHS Long Term Plan, which sets out how the £20.5bn budget settlement for the NHS, announced by the prime minister in summer 2018, will be spent over the next five years.

Sustainable development goals

In July, the UK will present its Voluntary National Review at the UN’s High-level Political Forum. To inform the review, the government is encouraging any group, organisation, or individual contributing to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in the UK to share what they are doing.

NCVO Annual Conference 2019: Looking to the future

It’s come around again so quickly – NCVO’s annual conference this year will take place on 1 April.

Join colleagues from across the sector to explore how future trends and tools can strengthen your charity and support you to develop as a leader.

Like this? Read more

Elizabeth is head of policy and public services at NCVO. She has been part of the policy team since 2008, as the expert on charity law and regulation. Her policy interests also include charity campaigning, the sector’s independence, transparency, and accountability.